News Reporter

The cold snap which is affecting parts of the country is expected to continue - but we should escape rain, snow and storms, says the Met Office.

Temperatures are expected to be as low as -8C in the South today, which is the start of the meteorological winter, though the minimum temperature in the North East is a relatively balmy 1C.

The chill will persist for at least the rest of the week while high pressures remain, the forecaster said.

The middle of the month will become more "unsettled" when a spell of low pressure makes its way across the country but the weather will calm down by Christmas, said Met Office meteorologist Helen Roberts.

"In the second half of the month it looks like high pressure will make a return so there will again be a lot of quiet weather around - not a lot in the way of rain or snow," said Mrs Roberts, "but there will be crisp sunshine by the end of the month and chilly frosts.

"I think most people would be generally fairly happy with that sort of weather, and it's a change from the last few Decembers and the start of winter, where we had a lot of stormy whether."